A candid former British Prime Minister Tony Blair stands by his and the Bush administrations decision to pursue the Iraq war, even as he expresses regret for the lives lost in the conflict.

You cant not have regrets about the lives lost, Blair said. I mean, you would be inhuman if you didnt regret the death of so many extraordinary, brave and committed soldiers, of civilians that have died in Iraq, or die still now in Afghanistan. And, of course, you feel an enormous responsibility for that, not just regret.

No one ever talks about the numbers of people that were predisposed to terrorism who went to fight in Iraq to sate their predisposition. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, all dying at the hands of coalition forces rather than traveling to the US to meat their demise, taking who knows how many Americans with them.

We haven't been attacked on US soil (successfully) by Al Qaeada) "just because".

Yep. Lots of dead jihadis got inspired to go meet their fate at the hand of our Marines and Soldiers. Like flypaper. It has worked like a charm. If there’s some maybe/maybe not muslim out there, sitting on the fence, I say give him a push and see which side of the fence he falls.

Then there’s the part where Saddam will now absolutely NOT proceed to develop more chemical, bio or even nuclear weapons... and I’m perfectly comfortable that this war was the right thing to do. War always comes at a dear cost in lives and treasure, and every one of those lost is a grief I know is unfathomable to me. But the alternative was worse, I believe.

8
posted on 09/06/2010 3:37:59 PM PDT
by Ramius
(Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)

Whenever I was in a discussion about the WOT, I said the enemy was fighting the US Military 12,000 miles away and asked if they’d rather have Al Qaida fighting civilians here. Nobody better than the US Military to take them on and no better place than their own back yard (vs. ours).

10
posted on 09/06/2010 5:13:35 PM PDT
by Dilbert56
(Harry Reid, D-Nev.: "We're going to pick up Senate seats as a result of this war.")

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